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Pogies
January 9th, 2008 by Jeff MoserMy good friend Keith let me try out his “Pogies” during these nasty storms we’ve been having in Northern Nevada. Pogies, sometimes called Moose Mitts or Bullwinkles, are weatherproof covers that go over your handlebars, enabling you to use a thinner glove in cold weather. As cold weather cyclists know, bulky winter gloves can make it difficult to brake and shift.
I’m currently working on a post for Commute by Bike that will go over the whole range of Pogie options available; however, there is one deal that I wanted pass along to Blue Collar Readers that is hard to pass up.
As part of my Pogie research, I consulted Tim Woody, an avid year-round cyclist in Anchorage, Alaska. He informed me of a killer deal on a set of Cabela’s ATV/Snowmachine Handlebar Mittens for just $14.99! Although not bicycle specific, they should work just fine for mountain bike handlebar widths.
The Cabela’s product page is HERE.
To check out the serious Winter Riding in Anchorage Alaska, visit Tim Woody’s blog Bicycles and Icicles.
Stay tuned for the full Pogie review coming soon to Commute by Bike…
That’s just some cut off sleeves of a sweatshirt attached by rubberbands… I could do that myself
On that note, this should be one of your “I Wouldn’t Buy That” products
Sweatshirt sleeves are made of cotton, and would get soggy and cold quickly if used in a snow storm. Sweatshirts aren’t wind proof either. The pair I’m trying is water/wind resistant cordura with a fleece liner. Some of the high end ones are designed for temperatures well below zero.
Wool would work, so would nylon or fleece/other plastic. I just didn’t think that biking in a snowstorm/rainstorm would really be practical unless confronted by a life/death situation
c’mon Michael where’s your sense of adventure?
That’s a sweet deal at Cabelas! ($12.99 for the black ones.)
I don’t care much for riding in rain, but riding while it’s snowing is a lot of fun! Still, many of us commute to work by bike no matter what the conditions, and keeping your hands and feet warm can be a challenge during the winter.
If you were to make some homemade pogies, you have to remember that you need to be able to slip your hands in and out easily. You may be able to use one hand to help slide your other hand into a pogie, but if there isn’t some sort of form to the pogies, you won’t be able to get your other hand in properly.
Levi - Cool! They must’ve just dropped the price on the black ones this morning!
Yeah Michael, Wool would work, but you really want to snip the sleeves from your $80 Merino Wool Jersey?
This is a great product, especially for winter/snow riding.
If my choices are riding the indoor trainer or riding in cold weather, I choose cold weather.
So why not be comfortable and get the Pogies.
Will they work on drop bars?
I found one company that is working on a set for drop bars. I think these would be great, since the wind chill is so much greater on the road bike. I’ll include this information on my Commute by Bike post.
Why not just handcuff yourself to the bike. If you want to bail off it looks dangerous to me. Thick gloves are better for me. But then again I ride kinda crazy at times.
Tiki, this was also my concern when trying out the ones loaned to me. I wondered if I’d be able to get my hands out in time if I took a fall. The roads were very icy that day, so it was a strong possibility. I was also riding in traffic.
I guess you’d want to use discretion when and where you used them. If I was off trail riding in the snow or cold with acceptable traction, I think they’d be great. A long road ride/commute with few surprises would be a good application too.
I’ve been using a pair of waterproof mountaineering gloves, but they were much more expensive than the pogies listed here!
During my brief stint as a bike courier in November in Calgary, Alberta, I noticed that a lot of the other couriers were using them. As a courier, you needs your hands a lot more, for operating the radio, filling out your manifests, locking and unlocking your bike, etc. The guys I saw weren’t wearing any gloves at all, but they were in out of buildings quite a bit. I have never tried them myself, but I think they make a lot of sense, especially for short trips.
As far as the handcuff phenomenon, again noting that I have never personally tried them myself, I would think most non-cyclists would think the same thing of clipless pedals. I imagine there is a learning curve, but you’d get used to them.
I tried the ones pictured above again last night. I used my summertime long fingered gloves for the test. When I stepped outside, the sun had gone down, temperatures were in the 30’s, and the wind was blowing. I could feel my thin gloved hands getting cold pretty quick. With the thin gloves, my hands slipped easily into the Pogies, and my hands stayed warm all the way home. I pulled a hand in and out during the ride, and it wasn’t a big deal to do while riding.
On my initial test I had my big gloves on. They were a little harder to get in, and kind of defeated the purpose anyhow.
I know Tim Woody and I am glad he found something that will work for him. Although Pogies can be found in various designs and costs, They really do work at keeping your hands toasty. I have a pair of the ones made in Fairbanks AK, and I can’t ride with any glove within them. They are that warm for me to ride this way; down to the single digits. There are things where Blue Collar design cannot beat the real thing.
I use CliMitts. They are around $30, are made for biking. They have bigger openings and don’t go up the arm as high as those in the photo, very easy to get the hands in and out of. I can go gloveless under the CliMitts down to about 0 degrees or wear a light-weight glove. Nothing beats pogies for cold weather ridings. CliMitts are fleece-lined, windproof and very water resistant. I haven’t found a pair of gloves which work anywhere near as well and I have spent lots of $ searching for “the” glove. Pogies are perfect.
The secret to making good pogies is coat hanger wire. One wire is at the cuff on your arm. This makes it easier to get your hands in and out as the pogie never collapses around your arm. The second wire runs the length of the pogie it allows you to shape the pogie to your posture . The pogies are don’t sag when you take your hands out for a second (like when you need to wipe your nose.)
Also, sweat pants make the best temporary pogies. The leg big enough to fit around every thing. (learned that on “Snowmobile TV”)
I want to see you use wool or the sleeves cut off a sweatshirt when it’s -20 (F)